East Africa

Overview

In East Africa ICCT focuses on the engagement of civil society and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1624 (2005) and 2178 (2014), as well as the foreign fighters phenomenon and the presence of al Qaeda in the region. The ongoing instability in Somalia and containing the influence of al Qaeda in the region have been the key topics in the ICCT’s research, as well as projects related to empowering vibrant civil society in Kenya.

Overview

In East Africa ICCT focuses on the engagement of civil society and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1624 (2005) and 2178 (2014), as well as the foreign fighters phenomenon and the presence of al Qaeda in the region. The ongoing instability in Somalia and containing the influence of al Qaeda in the region have been the key topics in the ICCT’s research, as well as projects related to empowering vibrant civil society in Kenya.

Featured

The Arab Spring was remarkable for many reasons but one feature particularly worth noting was the absence of al Qaeda throughout the uprisings. In recent years commentators have begun to suggest that Africa will be the next haven for al Qaeda, with al Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Boko Haram all having affiliations with al Qaeda in varying degrees. Those in the counter terrorism field will be monitoring these alliances closely, seeking to understand how great the threat from al Qaeda in Africa may be, how deep these alliances run and where the incentives and ideologies overlap.

Despite the fact billions of euros have been sent to Somali over the last two decades, the country remains a "failed state". This Policy Brief argues that to be more effective, the EU needs to become more adept at understanding local political dynamics.

ICCT Visiting Fellow EJ Hogendoorn analyses the EU's efforts in countering violent extremism in Somalia and argues that, unless the EU becomes more adept at understanding local political dynamics, its expensive technical assistance and training programmes may have only temporary and limited impact.

In this Research Paper, Dr. Isabelle Duyvesteyn and Bram Peeters study seven conflicts that in the past 35 years have triggered Muslims worldwide to leave their home country and become a so-called foreign fighter.

In recent years commentators have begun to suggest that Africa will be the next haven for al Qaeda, with al Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Boko Haram all having affiliations with al Qaeda in varying degrees.